Hike Description:

From the kiosk at the end of the parking area, follow a grassy path uphill, through open fields, with yellow blazes on wooden posts. At the edge of the woods, a triple-yellow blaze marks the official start of the Kincaid Trail, which enters the woods, crosses a stream on a wooden footbridge and goes over an old stone wall.

After crossing a wet area on a raised causeway, you’ll reach a junction marked by a small cairn. The yellow-blazed Kincaid Trail straight ahead will be your return route, but for now, bear right onto the Black Dot Trail, marked with a black dot on yellow. This trail climbs a little and levels off, passing a large raised area on the left. After continuing along a relatively level section, it climbs some more and bears right.

Soon, the Black Dot Trail loops sharply to the left and descends briefly, crossing some more old stone walls. It now heads northwest, with a deep valley to the right.

After descending a short distance and crossing another stone wall, the Black Dot Trail ends at an intersection with the yellow-blazed Kincaid Trail. Turn left onto the Kincaid Trail and continue to descend, soon passing an interesting tree on the left with five trunks.

A short distance beyond, you’ll notice a deep cut on the left, now overgrown with trees. This large pit is a remnant of the Rockaway Valley Mines, excavated about 1870 and last worked in 1880. The ore was shipped to Musconetcong Ironworks in Stanhope via the Morris Canal. On the opposite side of the pit, piles of tailings (waste rock from mining operations) are visible. An old mining road leads uphill to the right, but you should continue ahead, following the yellow blazes, which loop to the left past the mine and continue to descend, with ditches (constructed to drain water from the mine) on either side of the trail.

Soon, you’ll come to a T-intersection, where you bear left onto a woods road, which continues to head downhill. On the left side of the road, you’ll notice a stone retaining wall which supported a flat work area and, far above on the hillside, more piles of tailings may be seen. A short distance beyond, you’ll reach the junction where the Black Dot Trail begins. Continue ahead on the yellow-blazed Kincaid Trail and follow it back to the parking area where the hike began.

Publication: Submitted by Daniel Chazinon 09/01/2011

Kincaid/Black Dot Trails Loop

This hike loops through attractive second-growth woods and passes an historic mine.

40.953373, -74.408005

From the kiosk at the end of the parking area, follow a grassy path uphill, through open fields, with yellow blazes on wooden posts. At the edge of the woods, a triple-yellow blaze marks the official start of the Kincaid Trail, which enters the woods, crosses a stream on a wooden footbridge and goes over an old stone wall.

Prepare For Your Hike

Hike Checklist:

Whether you are going for a day hike or backpacking overnight, it is good practice to carry what we call The Hiking Essentials. These essentials will help you enjoy your outing more and will provide basic safety gear if needed. There may also be more essentials, depending on the season and your needs.

The Essentials

Hiking Shoes or Boots

Water - Two quarts per person is recommended in every season. Keep in mind that fluid loss is heightened in winter as well as summer. Don't put yourself in the position of having to end your hike early because you have run out of water.

Map - Know where you are and where you are going. Many of our hiking areas feature interconnecting network of trails. Use a waterproof/tear-resistant Tyvek Trail Conference map if available or enclose your map in a Ziplock plastic bag. If you have a mobile device, download Avenza’s free PDF Maps app and grab some GPS-enhanced Trail Conference maps (a backup Tyvek or paper version of the map is good to have just in case your batteries die or you don't have service). Check out some map-reading basics here.

Food - Snacks/lunch will keep you going as you burn energy walking or climbing. Nuts, seeds, and chocolate are favorites on the trail.

Sunscreen and insect repellent

Rain Gear and Extra Clothing - Rain happens. So does cold. Be prepared for changing weather. Avoid cotton--it traps water against your skin and is slow to dry. If you are wearing wet cotton and must return to your starting point, you risk getting chills that may lead to a dangerous hypothermia. Choose synthetic shirts, sweaters and/or vests and dress in layers for easy on and off.

Compass - A simple compass is all you need to orient you and your map to magnetic north.

Light - A flashlight or small, lightweight headlamp will be welcome gear if you find yourself still on the trail when darkness falls. Check the batteries before you start out and have extras in your pack.

First Aid Kit - Keep it simple, compact, and weatherproof. Know how to use the basic components.

Firestarter and Matches - In an emergency, you may need to keep yourself or someone else warm until help arrives. A firestarter (this could be as simple as leftover birthday candles that are kept inside a waterproof container) and matches (again, make sure to keep them in a waterproof container) could save a life.

Knife or Multi-tool - You may need to cut a piece of moleskin to put over a blister, repair a piece of broken equipment, or solve some other unexpected problem.

Emergency Numbers - Know the emergency numbers for the area you're going to and realize that in many locations--especially mountainous ones, your phone will not get reception.

Common Sense - Pay attention to your environment, your energy, and the condition of your companions. Has the weather turned rainy? Is daylight fading? Did you drink all your water? Did your companion fail to bring rain gear? Are you getting tired? Keep in mind that until you turn around you are (typically) only half-way to completing your hike--you must still get back to where you started from! (Exceptions are loop hikes.)

Check the weather forecast before you head out. Know the rules and regulations of the area.

Let's Go

Directions to Trailhead :

Take I-287 South to Exit 47 (Montville/Lincoln Park) and turn left at the bottom of the ramp onto Main Road (Route 202). Continue to follow Route 202 as it turns first sharply left, then sharply right. In 0.6 mile, just before reaching a fire station, turn right onto Taylortown Road and continue for 3.1 miles to a “stop” sign at Powerville Road (after 1.8 miles, Taylortown Road becomes Rockaway Valley Road). Turn right onto Powerville Road (the road is open only for local traffic because a bridge is out ahead, but the parking area for the hike is before the bridge, so you should go around the barricade) and continue for 1.2 miles to Kincaid Road (Powerville Road bears left at this intersection). Turn right onto Kincaid Road and immediately turn right into a gravel parking area.